The latest luxury home trends

Written by Engel & Völkers on 10/4/17

Zaha Hadid, one of the world's best-known architects, once said that "fashion is about how you place the object on the person". The best agents are able to tap into luxury home trends and sell their clients a lifestyle. This should factor into your conversations with both buyers and sellers, enabling you to offer advice on how they can make the most of trends.

Here we look at a trio of luxury house trends, and consider how you can help clients to embrace them this coming year.

Theatre kitchens

The open plan kitchen and living area has dominated modern home design now for some years. The theatre kitchen – one of this year's luxury home trends – is, in many ways, the next step. Similar to the open plan kitchen, a theatre kitchen is a large space, designed with entertainment in mind. Where it differs is that your guests will be positioned to watch you cook, rather than to relax in a pseudo-separate living space.

For real estate agents, the best way to tap into this most recent luxury home trend is to show buyers how open plan kitchens can also work as theatre kitchens. The design elements are fundamentally the same: island worktops, open social spaces, ample seating. All that changes is your perception of the space, which is where the agent comes in. Keep an eye out for opportunities to sell the theatre kitchen during your property search.

Inground pools

Swimming pools themselves are nothing new, but the approach of architects and landscapers is changing. The current luxury home trend for pools is to build everything neatly into the ground. Above ground pools and plunge pools can seem bulky, and sometimes have the feeling of an after-thought. Conversely, inground swimming pools are sleek and show the levels of forethought necessary for superior design.

The good news is that inground pools don't have to be built at the same time as the property. If you're advising a home-owner on their outside space, there's still plenty of scope to suggest that they build an inground pool into their garden.

Beach houses

Fitting an inground pool to your property isn't the only way to incorporate water into your home lifestyle. Beach houses offer another way to experience the outdoors. One reason that beach houses are emerging as another luxury house trend is the potential health benefits to using a beach house. With ample opportunity to exercise, beach houses are ideal for those who love to stay fit and healthy. Bear this in mind when you're showing prospective buyers a place by the sea.

Luxury home trends sell properties, so it's important to keep sellers up-to-date with the latest news from the property market. With a little cooperation between homeowners and real estate agents like Engel & Völkers, paying attention to luxury house trends can help properties realise their full potential on the market.